Armor for pneumatic tires.



C. E. HUXLEY.

ARMOR POR PNEUMATIG TIRES. APPLICATION FILI-:n JULY 23,1909.

964,783. Patented July 19, 1910.

1- 252 ev P/g '601 ZM grew/Wx 519 M CHARLES E. HUXLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINGIS.

ARMOR FOB. NEUMATIC TIRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19. 1910.

Application tiled .Truly 23, 1909. Sc"1l No. 509,080.

To all whom 'it mcy concern:

Be it known that I, Curtains E. llUxLnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Armors for lneumatie rL'ires; and I do hereby dechire that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in armors for cushioned tires, and more particularly for pneumatic tires, and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.l y

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a protecting armor or. shield for such tires which will protect the tire from pu nctures and blow outs or explosions, and which will brace-the tire from lateral deiiection on the rim against side stresses thrown thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide an armor for these purposes which 1s so constructed that worn or.broken parts ma be easily replaced.

still further object of the invention is to provide an .improved tire armor which is held fixedly in place and which will serve as a means to increase the tractive force of the tire.

In the drawings, Figurel is aside elevation of a tire and my improved armor, showing the manner of applying the armor thereto, the armor being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the tire and armor, showing more clearly the construction of the latter. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one of the clamping devices by which the tread strands are held in place on the tire tread. My improved armor embraces a series of strands l0l arranged transversely acrossthe tread ofthe tire l1, circular, flexible attach-l ing members 12, 12 at the sides of the wheel. 13 and a plurality of linksor fittings 14 by vwhich the tread strands are flexibly connected with the circular attaching members 12, said strands being broughtdown along the side of the tire for connection with said links. 'lhe tread strands, which may he made of cable or wire (preferably the for mer) lie side by side closely together on the tire tread so as to cover the tread and protect the same from puncture. The -said tread strands may be made of short lengths to extend across the tread for connertc'on with the littings 14. s herein shown the tread strands are attached by clamping means to said connecting fittings or linksz yli'. This arrangement is recommended, inasmuch as it facilitates and cheapens the rcplacement of broken or worn strands.

The connecting links or fittings 1st by which the tread strands are flexibly connected with the circular, llexible side attaching members may be made of any suitable or preferred form. As herein shown, they are arranged in lateral pairs,- the links or fit-- tings of each pair being arranged one'at one side and the other at the other side of the tire. .Each pair of links are adapted for attachment to three adjacent strands arranged side by side, the ends of said strands being clamped or otherwise attached to the links. Said links are provided at their inner ends with apertures 1G through which are threaded the Ilexible side attaching members, which latter are preferably made of cable or flexible wire of proper size. The said links or fittings herein shown each consists'of two members 1S, 1t), the former be ing elongated and provided with the aperture 1G, and the latter being made shorter and adapted to be bolted or otherwise clamped to the member 1S. Between said two members, at the outer ends of the littings or links, are clamped the ends of the tread strands, as the fittings herein shown are designed.

As before stated, each pair of links or tittings 14 are designed to hold in place three adjacent tread strands The adjacent ends of two of said strands lie side by side in saidv link or fitting between the clamping inem* bers 18, 19 thereof, one member of which is hollowed ont to provide a recess 20 to receive them, and the end of the third strand lies over and between the ends of said two strands, as most clearly shown in Fig. 4f and occupies a recess 20 in the other clamping member of the fitting. The overlapping arrangement of the ends of the trcadstrands, which lie side byvside on the tread of the tire, is made necessary owing to the general radial arrangement of said strands. Any suitable means may be applied. to clamp the members of the fittings or links together to llt) attach the tread strand ends thereto. As herein shown extend through the fitting members and are provided at their outer ends with clamping nuts. As herein shown the ends of the tread strands are turned inwardly at a right angle,

as shown at 22, to enter openings 9.2 formed on the inner clamping members 18 and the outer clamping members 19 are formed with clamping sur aces 23 which closely .ffit the strands it their outeturned ends. This arrangement greatly increases the holding effect of the fittings on the strands. In order that the fittings or lin-ks may move more freely inwardly relatively to each other upon compression of the tire, the inner ends thereof are tapered, as most clearly shown in Fig. 8, giving said tittings a generally tapered form in side elevation.

The fiexible, side attaching members 12 are provided with means for adjusting them in a manner to draw the tread strands tightly over the tire when the latter isinflated. Such adjusting means may be made of various forms, in the nature of a turn buckle or right and lefthand screw. As herein shown the lat-ter form of device is lemployed. The adjusting device shown embraces a screw stud 24 'provided at its ends with right and leftv hand screw threadswhich coperate with two specially formed adjacent link or fitting ends 14. As shown said screw stud extends loosely through an. aperture in an extended end 142 of a link intermediate the link ends 111. The inwardly extended ends of the links or fittings 1li are provided with screw-threaded openings which receive the ends of the right and left hand screw-threaded stud whereby said fittings may be drawn together or allowed to spread apart. The ends of the strands or wires constituting the side attaching mem ers are attached in any suitable manner to the link or fitting ends 14, as for instance in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The adjusting screws may be provided between their ends with openings 25 by which they a're conveniently engaged by an implement to rotate the same when adjusting the attaching members. One or more ot such adjusting devices for the fiexible side attaching members may be en'iployed, as found most convenient or desirable.

My armor described is ficxiblc to adjustI itself to or vfollow the 'flexing niovonicl'it of the tiro tread in opera-tion and is of such nature that the parts thereof move freely upon themselves during` flexing action, and resume their normal side by side positions on the tread ol the tire when the latter is l distendcd. ivloreover the construction and arrangonwnt of the arnioi' and its attaching nicuns aro such that the tread strands are hold lirnily on the tire tread, and also to support the tire against explosions and to hold the tiro in place on bolts 21 are provided which j .strands may be readily replaced serve Lblow ouls77 or t j l tend transversely across the tread ol' the tiro 'tisanes the rim against side stresses tending to flex the tire laterally on its seat. rlfhe tread when broken or worn at small cost of time and labor, as well as material. The armor while serving as a means for avoiding puncture and explosion of the tire, also greatly increases the tractive force thereof.

An, advantage of the use of cylindric strands, such as wire or cable, connected to the side attaching members in the general manner shown, is, first, there are no sharp projections `on the armor which tend to wear the tire, the members of the' armor or the roadway, and, second, there are no joints which wear in the flexing movement of the armor members, or tend to permit the tread members or strands to stretch or become elongated. The feature of' non-extensibility is ot great importance.

Another feature of advantage is the use of simple tread members, which constitute the direct tread of the armor, as distinguished from compound members, or those made up of a number of connected parts, the construction possessing greatsimplicity, being readily applied and economical to construct. An advantage of theluse of twisted metal cables is that the wearing or fraying of the twisted strands of the cable slightly roughen the surface of the armor without substantially weakening the same, and presents an improved gripping or holding surface to the roadway without road or -tire cutting projections.

A. Jfurther .feature of advantage ofthe armor or shield is that it protects the sides of the tire, as well as the tread thereof, and this feature is especially useful when driving over rough and broken roadways.

lt is to be understood that the structural details of thejinvention may be widely varied from the illustrated embodiment herein shown, and that the invention is not limited to such details except hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. A tire armor comprising round, fiexible strands or cables arranged to extend transversely across the tread of the tire and being in contact with each other at the tire tread and laterally overlapping each other at their ends at the sides of the tire, and Afastening means engaging the ends of said strands or cables ior fastening them upon the tire.

2. A tire armor con'iprising round cables madel of twisted strands and arranged to extend transversely across the tread ot' the tire and beingA in contact with nach other at tho tiro tread and I'aslcning means tor fixing said strands on the lire.

ii. .fi tireI armor comprising round cables made ol twisted strands and arranged to oxesferas and bein in Contact with each other at the tire trea and circular, flexible, nnattached fastening members at the sides of the tire to which the ends of said cables are connected.

4. A tire armor comprising round strands or cables arranged to extend across 'the tire tr'ead with their ends extending down along the side of the tire, said strands being in contact with each other at the tire tread and laterally overlapping at their ends, clamp ing devices releasably engaging the ends of said strands in their overlapped portions and circular, flexible, unattached side members engaging said clamping devices.

5. A tire armor comprising round cables made of twisted strands and arranged to extend transversely across the tread of the tire and being in contact with each other at the tire tread andlaterally.overlapping at their ends at the sides of the tire, circular, flexible unattached side members and fastening means for connecting the side members'with the ends of said cable comprising a plurality of pairs of clamping imnnbersl between which the ends of said cables` are confined, means for clamping said members upon the'cable ends, and means for loosely 4connecting said clamping members with said side members.

6. A tire armor comprising round, ilexible strands or cables arranged to extend transversely' across the tread of the tire and being in contact with each other at the tire tread and laterally overlapping each other at `their ends at the sides of the tire and means for fastening the armor to the tire embracing a plurality of pairs of. clamping members, each pair arranged to receive and hold between them a plurality of pairs of strands and having means for pressing them upon the strand ends and circular attaching members at the sides of the tire to which said clamping members are loosely attached.

7. A tire armor comprising round cables made of twisted strands and arranged to extend transversely across the tread of the lire and being in contact with each other at the tire tread and laterally overlapping at their ends at the sides of the tire, circular, flexible, unattached side members and as- Lening means for connecting the side members with the ends of said cables comprising a plurality of pairs of clamping members between which the ends of said cables are conned, means for clamping said members upon the cable ends, and means for loosely connecting said clamping members with said side. members, one of the clamping members of each pair being provided with lateral openings and the cable ends being laterally turned to enter said openings.

ln testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I allix my signature in the presence of two 1witnesses this 20th day of July A. D. 1909.

CHARLES E. HUXLEY.

llitnesses W. L. HALL,

Wimmer GoLDBnRGnR'. 

